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Sunday, July 9, 2017

9 July - Blogs I'm Following 2 of 2

By Paul Homewood A thoughtful piece by Dellers about green groupthink. From the Spectator: I do find it odd that I’m so often having to write about the science of global warming, species extinction and ocean acidification because, though I’ve certainly acquired a pretty useful base knowledge over the years — superior, I’m […]

I was interviewed by Hollie McKay in “ISIS defeated, but not destroyed, as terror group still holds strategic swaths of Iraq” for Fox News, and by Paul Iddon in “Anticipating Mosul’s post-Islamic State future” for Al Araby, and by Paul again in "What does Turkey have to fear about Kurdish independence?" for Rudaw. Was quoted by Ben Watson in “What the Largest Battle of the Decade Says About the Future of War” for Defense One.

Federal Police celebrating in west Mosul (Sky News) The news of the day was whether Mosul was finally liberated or not. The Joint Operations Command got things underway by saying that the city was free, but then added that there were small pockets of resistance. That last caveat was missed by most leading the command to issue a clarification that there were still a few meters of the city under Islamic State control. It then added that a victory announcement was imminent and that fighting would be over in a few hours. Units of the Iraqi forces (ISF) were seen celebrating in the str...more »

I used Telehealth for the first time this past week, Ontario's call centre for health questions. I thought it was a great service, but now that I've spoken to others about my experience, I'm confused. *Is it true Telehealth sends everyone to Urgent Care or the Emergency Room?* USians, you may marvel at the beauty of universal public health care. * * * * It was the Monday after Canada Day, and I had been sick all weekend. My family doctor's office always has an on-call doctor or nurse-practitioner, but the office was closed. I had a feeling I should see a doctor, in case I needed an...more »

*Steve Weintz* *Security, * ‘Floppy-magnets’ made enemy subs noisier, easier to hunt—but were too hard to train with. *The magnets worked on the Soviets with the same maddening results. The crews of several Foxtrots were driven bonkers by the noise and returned to port rather than complete their cruises.* *Now, the Soviet navy could afford to furlough a sub or two, but NATO could not. Anti-submarine crews couldn’t practice with floppy-magnets attached to their exercise targets.* *The floppy-magnets worked exactly as intended, but they were simply too messy to train with to be p...more »

A new episode of Five Minutes Five Issues is out. You can listen to it, and read a transcript, below. You can also find previous episodes of the show at Stitcher, iTunes, YouTube, and SoundCloud. Listen to the new episode here: Read a transcript of the new episode, including links to further information regarding the topics discussed, here: *The Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity welcomes you to Five Minutes Five Issues. Starting in five four three two one.* Hello, I am Adam Dick, a Ron Paul Institute senior fellow. Let’s start. *Issue one. *“In a sane world,” Rober...more »

A new episode of Five Minutes Five Issues is out. You can listen to it, and read a transcript, below. You can also find previous episodes of the show at Stitcher, iTunes, YouTube, and SoundCloud. Listen to the new episode here: Read a transcript of the new episode, including links to further information regarding the topics discussed, here: *The Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity welcomes you to Five Minutes Five Issues. Starting in five four three two one.* Hello, I am Adam Dick, a Ron Paul Institute senior fellow. Let’s start. *Issue one. *“In a sane world,” Rober...more »

A new episode of Five Minutes Five Issues is out. You can listen to it, and read a transcript, below. You can also find previous episodes of the show at Stitcher, iTunes, YouTube, and SoundCloud. Listen to the new episode here: Read a transcript of the new episode, including links to further information regarding the topics discussed, here: *The Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity welcomes you to Five Minutes Five Issues. Starting in five four three two one.* Hello, I am Adam Dick, a Ron Paul Institute senior fellow. Let’s start. *Issue one. *“In a sane world,” Rober...more »

A new episode of Five Minutes Five Issues is out. You can listen to it, and read a transcript, below. You can also find previous episodes of the show at Stitcher, iTunes, YouTube, and SoundCloud. Listen to the new episode here: Read a transcript of the new episode, including links to further information regarding the topics discussed, here: *The Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity welcomes you to Five Minutes Five Issues. Starting in five four three two one.* Hello, I am Adam Dick, a Ron Paul Institute senior fellow. Let’s start. *Issue one. *“In a sane world,” Rober...more »

This morning, in passing, we also got Andrew Marr's take on the G20 protests in Hamburg - some of which turned so violent that they made Hamburg look like a city at war. We pick the paper review up from the point at which Sarah Baxter of the *Sunday Times* has just finished trashing Trump: *Sarah Baxter*: It's not a good look for the world's biggest democracy. *Andrew Marr*: Nor necessarily are the protests in Hamburg a good look for Germany, Iain. *Iain Martin*: Yeah, it's interesting the way in which these summits now happen in that there's a bubble inside, where all of that goes...more »

Back by popular demand... Here's a transcript of the introduction to this morning's *The Andrew Marr Show*: Good morning. Dog days. Heat rising and the politicians, frankly exhausted, desperate for their summer break. On the surface, everyone's trying to radiate confidence. Theresa May assures the G20 she's staying on. Jeremy Corbyn is greeted as a conquering hero by the Durham miners. But behind the smiles, endless intrigue, endless plotting, and its all dripping into this morning's press. At Westminster there's nothing more lethal than a summer party. The new Justice Secretary...more »

Could this be the zoo of the future? Along with its live Sumatran tiger, pygmy hippopotamus and other captive animals, Parken Zoo in Sweden has recently put on display what it calls “Digidjurgen.” These virtual, whimsical animals are visiting from the future not only to entertain visitors, but to enlighten them about the impact that problems like climate change, deforestation and poaching could have on wildlife in the years to come. Similar to the game Pokemon Go, Digidjurgen uses augmented reality (AR) to blend the five digital animals with the real world of the zoo. To see, pet ...more »

Originally posted on Sierra Foothill Commentary: Scientists at the University of California, Riverside predict California will get an average of 12 percent more precipitation through the end of this century, compared to the last 20 years of last century. CREDIT UC Riverside Strategic Communications. Under business-as-usual greenhouse gas emissions, climate models predict California will get…

Originally posted on Watts Up With That?: When the sun goes dark, California will lose the equivalent of five nuclear power plants of power. Martin Rosenberg | Jun 29, 2017 The Energy Times ? California is bracing for a significant loss of electric power as its fast-growing fleet of solar electric panels plunge into darkness…

Originally posted on Tallbloke's Talkshop: Fig 1. Integration of solar data departing from long term average as a proxy for OHC OK, this the last post before I go. This is a comment I made this morning over at Pierre Gosselin’s place. To understand the effect of solar variation on a large heat capacity…

BEIRUT, LEBANON (4:10 P.M.) – The jihadist rebels of Hay’at Tahrir Al-Sham launched a wide-scale campaign, Sunday, to crackdown on Islamic State (ISIL) sleeper cells across the Idlib Governorate. According to the Al-Qaeda group’s official media wing, large convoys of fighters began storming various towns and villages where ISIL sleeper cells were believed to be […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز

DAMASCUS, SYRIA (3:30 P.M.) – Several leading members of the Islamic State’s inner circle were pronounced dead after the final stage of the battle for Mosul came to a conclusion this weekend, an Iraqi military source told Al-Masdar News. Among the deceased high-ranking ISIS members was Ayad Al-Jumaily, believed to be Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi’s Deputy […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز

BEIRUT, LEBANON (3:20 P.M.) – Tens of thousands of opposition supporters rallied outside the Maltepe prison in Istanbul on Sunday, after completing a 450 kilometre (280 mile) protest march from Ankara. The “March for Justice” was called for by Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu. The protest started on June 15, after CHP Member of […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز

BEIRUT, LEBANON (3:00 P.M.) – Militants of the Ahrar Al-Sham Islamist faction based in the Rastan pocket have raided positions of the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) at the Al-Madajen checkpoint, north of the militant-held town of Hirbnafsah. Ahrar al-Sham claims that their night raid led to the killing of six (6) SAA soldiers and the […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز

BEIRUT, LEBANON (2:40 P.M.) – The Admiral Essen, a Russian frigate equipped with guided Kalibr cruise missiles, left Sevastopol on Sunday, on its way to the Syrian coast. The Essen and along with the Admiral Grigorovich are the only frigates in the Black Sea Fleet to have carried out cruise missile strikes on self-proclaimed Islamic […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز

BEIRUT, LEBANON (2:00 P.M.) – Video footage has emerged of a large formation of US military helicopters flying past a firebase belonging to Iraqi forces in Kirkuk Province. The footage was taken by an individual Iraqi soldier who adds some controversial commentary, claiming that ISIS only shoots at Iraqi helicopters and not American ones. The […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز

DAMASCUS, SYRIA (1:30 P.M.) – With other rebel factions busy fighting each other in the East Ghouta, the Free Syrian Army’s (FSA) Failaq Al-Rahman branch has deployed most of its units and armored vehicles in the defense of Ayn Tarma and Jobar, two districts in east Damascus. One video released by the aforementioned FSA group […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز

DAMASCUS, SYRIA (1:00 P.M.) – New progress has been made in Raqqa over the past 48 hours with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) concentrating the bulk of their assault troops on the eastern suburbs of the heavily embattled city. Pushing ever closer to the city centre, the SDF captured the ancient Harun Al-Rashid castle and […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز

Courtesy of CBS News: *A woman from Des Moines, Iowa, pleaded guilty to election misconduct for attempting to cast two separate ballots in the 2016 presidential election for then-Republican nominee Donald Trump. * *According to the Associated Press, Terri Lynn Rote, 57, entered her plea for the felony charge on June 27. Court documents state that lawyers affiliated with the case are recommending Rote face up to two years of probation with community service on the side. * *Rote told police why she tried to vote more than once. She was convinced her first vote for Mr. Trump would be...more »

US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said "everyone" knows that Russia meddled in the 2016 US elections. The post US Ambassador to UN Nikki Haley tells CNN: “Everybody knows that Russia meddled in our elections” (Video) appeared first on The Duran.

Donald Trump singles he is ready to move on from Russiagate but not before blasting Barack Obama, the Democrats and the mainstream media. The post Trump’s post-G20 Russiagate Tweets are HERE appeared first on The Duran.

*"A New Earth"* by Eckhart Tolle "Unconscious people – and many remain unconscious, trapped in their egos throughout their lives – will quickly tell you who they are: their name, their occupation, their personal history, the shape or state of their body, and whatever else they identify with. Others may appear to be more evolved because they think of themselves as an immortal soul or living spirit. But do they really know themselves, or have they just added some spiritual sounding concepts to the content of their mind? Knowing yourself goes far deeper than the adoption of a set of i...more »

"Empire of the Sunset" by Randall Amster "Sometimes, I really miss America - or at least the idea of it. You know: that can-do spirit, streets paved with gold, champion of the tired and poor, purple mountains majesty, that sort of thing. Say what you will, and call it naïve, but the storybook values at the heart of America’s erstwhile image are inspiring. Like most who grew up here, I was steeped in the lore and legend of this place. Despite obvious flaws in the narrative (how exactly does one ‘discover’ land upon which others are living, anyway?) there existed a strong sense that...more »

"You have been my friend. That in itself is a tremendous thing. I wove my webs for you because I liked you. After all, what’s a life, anyway? We’re born, we live a little while, we die. A spider’s life can’t help being something of a mess, with all this trapping and eating flies. By helping you, perhaps I was trying to lift up my life a trifle. Heaven knows anyone’s life can stand a little of that." - E.B. White, in "Charlotte’s Web"

In case everyone hasn't seen this yet, written by someone named Ben Feral Selinger. July 6 Okay, I'm fucking sick of the idiocy and done with writing a diatribe every single time a friend posts about how they're upset that Trudeau is giving a terrorist $10m. You people are.... wilfully ignorant and hypocritical. Here's why. (And I thoroughly suggest reading the entire post. If you know me, you know I'm neither stupid, nor an apologist. I am pure fucking science, and this post is such. Read it before making an ass of yourself by posting about how we just gave a terrorist money). T...more »

Continuing on from John Simpson yesterday and Paddy O'Connell this morning... Matt Zarb-Cousin, former spokesman for Jeremy Corbyn (see also here), contributed to *The World This Weekend*'s sympathetic profile of Robbie Gibb, and this is how part of his discussion with Shaun Ley went: *Shaun Ley*: In his view this is particularly the case because Robbie Gibb is not the only BBC journalist to leave broadcasting in order to work for the Conservatives: *Matt Zarb-Cousin*: You look at the backgrounds of a lot of the political journalists at the BBC at the moment and you can maybe conc...more »

Free Syrian Army fighters rest inside a room in Quneitra, Syria July 8, 2017. Picture taken July 8, 2017. REUTERS/Alaa Al-Faqir Dave Majumdar, National Interest:* Can Russia and America Work Together in Syria?* *Ultimately, it will be the Assad regime and the various other proxy forces—both U.S. and Russian aligned—that will determine if the two great powers can work together.* The United States is willing to work jointly with Russia to conduct stability operations in a post-ISIS Syria. Those stability measures could include jointly monitored no-fly zones and cease-fire observatio...more »

The world waited last week, like the audience watching the season finale of *The Apprentice*, to witness the outcome of the Trump-Putin *tete-a-tete*. If you believe Rex Tillerson, the show set ratings records and was a smashing success. If you believe Russian journalist Masha Gessen, it was, indeed, a success -- for Vladimir Putin: Mr. Putin has for years — 17 years, to be exact, for this is how long he has been in power — been clear about what he wanted from his relationship with the United States president: He wants to be treated as an equal partner on the world stage and not t...more »

Yesterday Mark Pocan (D-WI), arguably the most progressive member of Congress, introduced iron worker and union activist Randy Bryce at his "Where's Paul Ryan" town hall in Racine, one of the cities in Ryan's district. As you know, Bryce is the former Bernie surrogate who's running for the swing district House seat held by Ryan since 1999, uncontested by the DCCC. This year the DCCC won't have the luxury of following Pelosi's diktat about not targeting Ryan (and other GOP leaders). The American people want Ryan's head and wouldn't mind seeing Pelosi's chopped off in the process if ...more »

*Ruling against Blaine Amendments is a huge victory for school choice* *Over half of the States have Blaine amendments, which obstruct the use of school vouchers. The vouchers would mostly go to Catholic schools and the amendment stops funding of Catholic schools. That has all now been swept aside by SCOTUS. Instead of laboriously repealing the amendments State by State, they are all gone now in one hit. * In ruling in favor of religious freedom last week in the Trinity Lutheran case, it seems doubtful the justices of the US Supreme Court had ever heard of Catholic schoolboy ...more »

This and that for your Sunday reading. - Damian Carrington reports on new research showing that the actual change in temperature caused by greenhouse gas emissions may be larger than anticipated in even the most cautious forecasts to date. And Chloe Farand highlights France's plan to rein in its contribution to climate change by banning all gasoline- and diesel-based vehicles by 2040. - Meanwhile, D.C. Fraser reports on a study (with particular reference to the Sask Party's Boundary Dam project) finding that carbon capture and storage is an utter waste of money. And it's hardly a p...more »

*Elon Musk fears a shrinking world population* *Rather curiously, the overpopulation and under-population scares have for some time been running alongside one-another. That does at least inspire some skepticism towards both.I think the fallacy is to see some sort of endpoint, some sort of stabilization or final state. It would be more in accord with animal populations to foresee both rises and falls in population. Neither a growing nor a shrinking population should go on forever. At various points both trends should reverse.And my prediction is that -- in the developed ...more »

I smiled at Shaun Ley's *BH *plug for *The World This Weekend *this morning. He was talking about why four-fifths of the people who downloaded Pokemon Go have already given up playing the game. "I've been off on a Pokemon hunt in the world of augmented reality to find out", he said, before adding, "I suppose that sort of sums up this place, doesn't it?" I suppose it does Shaun. And like Pokemon Go, the BBC's "augmented reality" seems to be losing popularity too (especially among the young).

*Warzone/The Drive:* *Watch This Russian Mi-35 Hind Do What No Other Attack Helicopter Can* The Hind's often forgotten secondary capability as a troop transport remains intriguing and is highlighted in this video. During large-scale exercises in Russia's southern military district, some of the country's most advanced versions of the iconic Hind attack helicopter showed off their true multi-role capabilities—which includes going from close air support platform to troop transport seamlessly. The video below shows a Mi-35M, which is upgraded in almost every way compared to earlier...more »

There's another fine piece from Kathy Gyngell at *TCW*, drawing together several recent examples of BBC bias. She highlights a particularly striking example of 'Project Fear' in action - claims that Brexit threatens our fundamental safety from accidental radiation and access to cancer treatment, plus that "Brexit will put at risk a trillion pound nuclear research market" - and shows how the BBC rolled with the story over a few days, bending it into an anti-Brexit narrative. Mark Mardell was in the thick of it, naturally.

Courtesy of The Texas Tribune: *Frank Phillips spent last Wednesday staring down 600 boxes of election materials — voted ballots, blank ballots, precinct records — sitting in a warehouse run by Denton County. After sitting in storage for the legally required periods — up to nearly two years in some cases — the roughly 24,000 pounds of paper were finally ready to be shredded. * *Yet despite the hassle — and the significant cost — Phillips, Denton County’s elections administrator, is looking forward to this fall, when he will implement the county’s newest voting plan: a complete retu...more »

*Popular Mechanics: **How the U.S Government Would Deal With Doomsday* It goes way deeper than the designated survivor. A recurring theme in movies and TV shows is the destruction of the United States government. From Independence Day to Designated Survivor, people love watching the White House get blown up. But if things really were to go south, the contigencies would be more complicated than any work of fiction is likely to illustrate. The contingencies revolve around shifting personal and areas of operation. Washington D.C. becomes mobile, both on land and in the sky. Governmen...more »

Reuters: Joe Skipper *The Hill*: *Trump officials signal intent to begin refilling Guantanamo* The Trump administration appears to be making its first moves toward fulfilling a campaign promise to fill the Guantanamo Bay prison camp with “bad dudes.” Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein visited the prison on Friday to get an update on current operations, the first concrete action the administration has taken on the facility since taking office. Up until now, Guantanamo has been running on autopilot; the executive order from former President O...more »

Self-proclaimed pro-Russian social media loonies distort the essence of Russian policy making as much as the fake news western mainstream media goons. The post Fake news “Russophiles” spread untruths about Russian policy on social media appeared first on The Duran.

After a Trump Tweet implying that a meeting with the Chinese President was an afterthought, an official US document referred to China in the most offensive way possible. The post The Trump administration continues to insult China–both by mistake and by design appeared first on The Duran.

*Heading back here soon....* The LA Times ran a hit piece on President Tsai today. How did I know how much it sucked? Three friends whose PHD work is on Taiwan politics issues sent it to me with WTF? texts. If the LA Times is ever puzzled as to why democracy is on the decline in the world or how President Trump got elected, it need merely examine its editorial posture. Why O why don't we have a better media... After some opening boilerplate, the writer, Ralph Jennings, observes: Tsai’s approval rating sank to 33% in June, down from just over 39% a month earlier. That puts her in p...more »

So it's not just Corbynistas who have been making hay with the appointment of the BBC's Robbie Gibb to be Mrs May's director of communications. Paddy O'Connell was coming the old 'complaints from both sides' game on *Broadcasting House *this morning: Downing Street has poached a man called Gibb from the BBC as its new director of communications. We thought this was Robbie Gibb, but it *can't *be him because the Right has long feared the BBC is full of lip-smacking, sandal-wearing, muesli-eating, left-leaning pinkoes. So has Mrs May instead hired another Gibb, Barry Gibb of the Be...more »

*“Jimmy Stewart Recites His Poem About Beau”* by Dusty Old Thing “Do you remember this? It was truly an amazing moment on late-night television. Jimmy Stewart wrote this wonderful poem about his dog named Beau and recited it on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson in 1981. It is such a humorous, genuine, and tearful look at the beautiful relationship that develops between dog and human throughout the years. We certainly know how he’s feeling since our pets have changed us for the better in ways we couldn’t have imagined and they opened our hearts forever. And, it’s so hard to le...more »

*“The Madness of War”* by Julian Rose “It is essential to constantly remind ourselves that war, apart from a very few exceptions, is a symptom of madness. Yet war is a disease which is largely taken for granted; considered ‘normal’ and unless it involves a large swathe of humanity, ignored. How did we allow ourselves to be trapped by such insanity? In 2017, wars are as prevalent as ever. They are being manifest in the Middle East, in Africa, in South America, and in a lesser form, in almost all countries of the World. They are the result of a failure to recognize that killing anot...more »

The improved RU-38A Twin Condor. USCG *The Drive/Warzone: The U.S. Coast Guard May Be Flying a Unique Stealthy Spy Plane* *The service's Manned Covert Surveillance Aircraft project has connections to decades of secretive work on "quiet aircraft."* When you think of U.S. military and stealth aircraft what probably springs to mind is the U.S. Air Force and planes such as the F-117 Nighthawk, F-22 Raptor, and B-2 Spirit. But low-observable technology isn't limited just to cutting an aircraft's radar signature and can involve other factors, such reducing aircraft's infrared or visual ...more »

Courtesy of CNN: *World leaders at the G20 summit in Germany went into their final day of talks Saturday scratching their heads over what to do about a increasingly isolationist United States. * *Leaders appeared to be at an impasse over trade and climate change, with German Chancellor Angela Merkel making clear that the US' stance on the key issues were threatening to derail progress and that talks had been difficult. * *US President Donald Trump won the 2016 election on an "America First" platform that would pull the United States out of several multilateral trade deals and ne...more »

By Cathy Jameson I’m constantly being reminded of some simple prayers that Ronan’s siblings have been saying for years. Nightly, and even during the day when we get a quiet moment, I hear the children pray: Lord, help him to...

July’s full moon is providing a nighttime show for people across the world tonight as it rose from the horizon earlier this evening and will be completely full at 1.07am on Sunday [July 9]. “On July 9, those who are blessed with a night of clear skies during the stormiest month of the year will be able to see the Full Thunder Moon dominate the sky alongside Saturn”, according to Space.com. “The traditional full moon names, like Thunder Moon, reflect the seasons in many temperate Northern Hemisphere climates. In many parts of the continental U.S., thunderstorms are more frequent in ...more »

DAMASCUS, SYRIA (0:40 P.M.) – 8,500 combat-ready Kurdish combattants have undergone training by US special forces in northern Syria over the past year, Brigadier General Dave Anderson said on Saturday. Furthermore, the US spokesman noted that armaments had been provided to 40,000 members of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The Kurdish-led army was also given […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز

BEIRUT, LEBANON (12:05 P.M.) – After capturing the rump of the al-Hayl gas complex yesterday, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and its allies have continued their relentless operation to reach the strategic town of al-Sukhnah, the last ISIS stronghold in Homs Governonate as well as the terrorist group’s last feasible line of defense directly west […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز

BEIRUT, LEBANON (11:30 A.M.) – The Syrian Arab Army resumed their offensive operations in the eastern suburbs of Damascus, Sunday, striking the Islamist rebel defenses at both Jobar and ‘Ayn Tarma. Utilizing heavy artillery and rockets, the Syrian Arab Army unleashed a vicious attack that was later followed by their 105th Brigade’s assault on the […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز

BEIRUT, LEBANON (11:07 A.M.) – Video evidence has been released of light attack aircraft on the tarmac at the Kuweires Military Airport in eastern Aleppo Governonate. The footage was captured by an individual serviceman, appearing to work for no media network and acting off their own initiative. In quite clear view of the camera can […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز

BEIRUT, LEBANON (10:25 A.M.) – The Islamic State (ISIL) is in a world of trouble in central Syria, as they lose several towns and hilltops to the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and their allies in the Hama and Homs governorates. The Syrian Arab Army and their allies, specifically Hezbollah an Liwaa Fatemiyoun (Afghani-Iranian paramilitary), have […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز

From Jenna Orkin How Google Rigs Search And Hurts Consumers GOP Lawmakers Bought Health-Insurance Stocks While Advancing Trumpcare Homeland Security chief John Kelly and CIA director Mike Pompeo reportedly flew over Mexican opium fields A single gene in E. coli bacteria could hold clues for extending the human lifespan Black Lives Matter responds to chilling National Rifle Association video that was seen as an 'open call to violence' Tax Collectors In Florida Now Openly Carry Guns, While Public Is Banned From Doing So Narcolepsy Following Pandemrix Influenza Vaccination in Eur...more »

I’ve been hearing about “Pizzagate” for a while. Reading another tweet without hearing any media commentary I decided to try to have a look to find out how convincing, if at all, the “evidence” was. The first thing I notice … Continue reading →

Craig at isthebbcbiased.blogspot.co.uk is a tad optimistic in this piece http://isthebbcbiased.blogspot.co.uk/2017/07/confessions-of-bbc-editor.html 'Still, if the penny genuinely has dropped with the Newsnight editor (as it appears to have done) that people's concerns about BBC bias do matter then that can only be a good thing. And the acknowledgement that too manyNewsnight contributors come from "a relatively narrow band of opinion" (something we've been saying for ages) is very welcome.' The trouble is that the BBC acknowledgment of previous bias extends to the Corbynista cont...more »

*DEFEAT these gloating galoots.* *TO SIGN: Petition for Australia to follow the US to exit the Paris Climate Accord, * *go to links at end of this post.* Gee, we learn that UK PM Theresa MAY is "disMAYed at Donald Trump's decision to pull out of Paris climate change agreement." After he refused to do so, the other G20 countries issued a communique, drawn up with the help of Mrs May, stating that the Paris Agreement was “irreversible” while the US conceded that emissions must be reduced. Oh really? And yet they could not issue a communique against North Korea because Russia and...more »

US President Donald Trump prepares to give a speech during the panel discussion "Launch Event Women's Entrepreneur Finance Initiative" on the second day of the G20 Summit in Hamburg, Germany, July 8, 2017. REUTERS/PATRIK STOLLARZ *Jonathan Easley and Jordan Fabian, The Hill*: *5 takeaways from Trump's dramatic weekend with world leaders* The gathering of the group of 20 industrialized nations concluded on Saturday amid violent protests in Hamburg, Germany. President Trump returns home with his supporters believing he has made a lasting statement about the U.S. role in the world a...more »

*June 9, 2017* (Ulson Gunnar - NEO) - The London Bridge terror attack saw a repeat of a now familiar narrative in which every suspect involved had been long-known to both British security and intelligence agencies. The London Telegraph in an article titled, "Khuram Butt, Rachid Redouane and Youssef Zaghba named: Everything we know about the London Bridge terrorists," would reveal: *The ringleader of the London Bridge massacre never bothered to hide his violent, extremist views. Khuram Butt was so brazen that he openly posed with the black flag of the so-called Islamic State in Rege...more »

*Samy, described by neighbours as being a nice guy.* *Samy Hamzeh*, 25, was caught up in an FBI sting. The FBI contacted Samy, who was leading a normal life, and tried to get him involved in a fake plot to attack the *Humphrey Scottish Rite Masonic Center* in Milwaukee. Recordings show that the FBI gave Samy a weapon and urged him to carry out a mass shooting. The recordings of Samy's conversations, revealed by lawyers, show that Samy was opposed to carrying out any attack. However, Samy was arrested and sent to prison. Data shows that the FBI uses mentally backward 'patsies' to ...more »

A study by Ned Nikolov Phd and Karl Zeller Phd published recently in *Environment Pollution and Climate Change* blows the 'greenhouse theory out of the water. The paper argues that concentrations of CO2 and other supposed “greenhouse gases” in the atmosphere have virtually no effect on the earth’s temperature. They conclude the entire greenhouse gas theory is incorrect. Instead, the earth’s “greenhouse” effect is a function of the sun and atmospheric pressure, which results from gravity and the mass of the atmosphere, rather than the amount of greenhouse gases such as CO2 and water...more »

BEIRUT, LEBANON (7:45 A.M.) – The Syrian Arab Army (SAA), alongside the National Defense Forces (NDF), launched a surprise attack in the Golan Heights on Saturday, striking the jihadist defenses in the town of Al-Samdaniyah Al-Gharbiyah. Led by the 90th Brigade, the Syrian Arab Army and their allies attacked the Red Villa area at the […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز

(TASS) The US Administration believes an agreement on the establishment of a de-escalation zone in southwest Syria is an important step towards settlement of the conflict in this Arab nation, national security advisor to the US President Herbert McMaster said in a statement released on Saturday. “The United States remains committed to defeating ISIS, helping to […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز

BEIRUT, LEBANON (6:55 A.M.) – A powerful explosion was reported by opposition activists in the jihadist stronghold of Binnish, Saturday, causing several casualties as a result of an IED (improvised explosive device). Opposition activists claimed an IED was planted at Harakat Ahrar Al-Sham’s headquarters in Binnish prior to its detonation by an unknown assailant. At […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز

BEIRUT, LEBANON (6:50 A.M.) – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed that Ankara would not allow the establishment of a Kurdish state in northern Syria, making the statement on the second day of the G20 Summit in Hamburg, Saturday. Erdogan said that “if there is an effort to establish a so-called Kurdish state in northern Syria, […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز

BEIRUT, LEBANON (6:35 A.M.) – The Islamic State (ISIL) launched a new offensive in the Deir Ezzor Governorate this week, targeting the Syrian Arab Army’s positions along the western bank of the Euphrates River. ISIL began their offensive, Saturday, by storming the Syrian Arab Army’s positions near the Heart Hospital and Furat Al-Sham Hotel; this […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز

The TIKAD armed drone from Duke Robotics. Duke Robotics *Defense One*: *The Israeli Military is Buying Copter Drones With Machine Guns* A breakthrough in drone design gives a glimpse into the future of urban warfare. The Israeli military is buying small multi-rotor drones modified to carry a machine gun, a grenade launcher and variety of other weapons to fight tomorrow’s urban warfare battles. Their maker, Florida startup Duke Robotics, is pitching the TIKAD drone to the U.S military as well. Lt. Col. Raziel “Razi” Atuar, a 20-year veteran of the Israeli military and a reservist...more »

*"'Ready To Blow' - * *National Geographic's Guide To The Yellowstone Supervolcano"* by Tyler Durden "Amid a growing 'swarm' of over earthquakes (now over 1000), and Montana's largest quake ever, scientists are growing increasingly concerned that the so-called 'super-volcano' at the heart of Yellowstone National Park could be building towards a Category 7 eruption. So what is a 'super-volcano' and what does its explosion mean for life on earth? NatGeo explains: As National Geographic details: Think of Yellowstone as a gigantic pressure cooker, fueled by a massive supervolcano. Water...more »

Members of the Emergency Response Division break into buildings during a fight with Islamic State militants in the Old City of Mosul on July 3, 2017. Ahmed Jadallah / Reuters WNU Editor: The above picture is from this incredible photo gallery .... *Mosul in Ruins* (The Atlantic)

*Daily Mail:* *Anti-capitalists branded 'insane' by Arab refugees for destroying a 'beautiful country' as internet mocks G20 rioters for sending snapchats from their iPhones* * Riots continued in the streets of Hamburg as Black Bloc militants scuffled with police during the G20 summit * Refugees from Syria and Egypt looked on at the carnage from a falafel joint and 'couldn't believe their eyes' * Violence broke out for a second night as world leaders congregated in the city to discuss global problems * Police were pelted with Molotov cocktails and petrol bombs thrown from rooftops ...more »

"They chained him to a bed and 8 riot guards with rubber batons beat him to death... That's what they do in Russia." Putin, the richest man on earth, is a murderous thug, who has his political opponents killed-- including journalists. So when he turned to the moron who he helped get into the White House and said, pointing menacingly to members of the press, "These are the ones who insulted you?" it shouldn't necessarily be taken as a joke. Trumpanzee, of course loved it. *Nick Kristof this morning: "It’s particularly problematic that Trump is continuing his crusade against the n...more »

*Washington Examiner:* *Time to shoot down a North Korean missile, former top US general says* It's clear North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is neither impressed nor deterred by recent displays of U.S. military might, so it's time to up the ante, says a retired American four-star commander. Rather than flying American bombers over the south, or firing missiles into the sea, the U.S. should target the next intercontinental ballistic missile North Korea launches, said retired Air Force Gen. Chuck Wald. "I would try to shoot one of their test missiles down instead of just firing missil...more »

*Breaking Defense:* *House Appropriators Give SecDef Blank Check For $28.6B* WASHINGTON: In a sign of how strange the budget process has become, the House Appropriations Committee has approved a defense spending bill that basically gives Secretary Jim Mattis a $28.6 billion blank check. Scattered across seven different accounts in the base and Overseas Contingency Operations budgets, it’s called the National Defense Restoration Fund, and it makes up 4.3 percent of the bill’s $658.1 billion Pentagon budget. That percentage may seem small, but it’s more than any previous SecDef has h...more »

There are those who don’t seem to understand that I have nothing against MUFON and that I have great respect for the thousands of members who volunteer their time, resources, effort, education and experience to the organization. I certainly understand that when you have a full-time job, a family, and all sorts of other obligations, it is tough to find time for UFOs. I get all that. And, I understand the First Amendment. It allows us to say any damned stupid thing we want. It just doesn’t guarantee freedom from consequence. If you post a racist rant to your Facebook page, you can exp...more »

*Zachary Keck* *Security, Eurasia* It’s never, ever going to happen. Russia has confirmed that it plans on building a new super aircraft carrier despite cuts in the defense budget. “Yes, the Navy will build an aircraft carrier, for sure,” Vice Adm. Viktor Bursuk, the deputy commander-in-chief of Russia’s navy, said last month, according to Russian state media. “Different bureaus are hammering out an image of this ship,” he added. The new aircraft carrier Bursuk was referring to is the so-called Project 23000E Shtorm. The proposed carrier will be powered by two RITM-200 nuclear ...more »

*Zachary Keck* *Security, Asia* And don't you forget it. Over the past two years, North Korea has been testing missiles at an unprecedented rate. During this time, it has unveiled a host of new missile systems, culminating in the July 4 test of an intercontinental ballistic missile. While Pyongyang’s provocations have rightly dominated global headlines, far less attention has been paid to the other side of the thirty-eighth parallel where South Korea has quietly been bolstering its own missile arsenal. Seoul’s interest in missile technology dates back to the 1970s. Much like it...more »

Jared Kushner, left, and Donald Trump Jr. are seen during inauguration ceremonies swearing in Donald Trump as U.S. president in January. Representatives for both confirmed a June 2016 gathering of the men and Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya at Trump Tower. (Rick Wilking/Reuters) *New York Times: **Trump Team Met With Lawyer Linked to Kremlin During Campaign* Two weeks after Donald J. Trump clinched the Republican presidential nomination last year, his eldest son arranged a meeting at Trump Tower in Manhattan with a Russian lawyer who has connections to the Kremlin, according ...more »

In the greatest defeat so far inflicted on ISIS the Iraqi army confirms the complete end of ISIS resistance in Mosul. The post CONFIRMED: Victory in Mosul: last districts of the city liberated from ISIS appeared first on The Duran.

BEIRUT, LEBANON (11:55 P.M.) – The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) captured a new town in the eastern countryside of Homs, Saturday, following a swift counter=assault against the Islamic State (ISIL) at Jibab Hamad. Units from the 18th Tank Division, alongside the National Defense Forces, managed to break-through the Islamic State’s defenses and establish full control […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز

(TASS) Russia and the United States have agreed on a ceasefire in the southern part of Syria that will begin at 12:00 A.M. Damascus time on July 9, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Friday after the talks of Russian and US presidents, Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump. “A ceasefire will come into force […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز

Axios had a very popular little post yesterday about how *un*popular TrumpCare is among voters: the most unpopular bill in three decades . Not only is TrumpCare more unpopular now than Obamacare was when the Tea Party was rampaging through the streets (and airwaves) lying about death panels, it's more unpopular than Bush's TARP bailout bill-- and by a lot. Before passage, at it's worst, the Affordable Care Act was only supported by 38% of Americans, a far cry from the 12% who back Paul Ryan's and Mitch McConnell's TrumpCare legislation. Axios asserts this is important because "it...more »

France is the latest European Country to announce they will make Vaccinations 'Mandatory' as according to there false belief it is 'Unacceptable for children to be dying of Measles' The post France To Make Vaccinations Mandatory From 2018 appeared first on OYE Alternative News.

Two states across the US have now banned the use of Dicamba because it is drifting and damaging crops. Reuters reports: Missouri joined Arkansas on Friday in banning the use and sale of the weed killer dicamba after a rise in complaints that the agricultural chemical is drifting into neighboring fields and damaging crops, the states agriculture departments said on Friday. The post Monsanto’s Weed Killer Dicamba Now Banned In Two States appeared first on OYE Alternative News.

AUDIT OF 'FINKEL REVIEW' REVEALS DEVASTATING HITS TO ECONOMY FULL REPORT - http://ow.ly/3T5230dkTm5 Dr Alan Moran, a world expert on electricity market regulations has conducted an independent analysis and report on the Finkel Review. Released today, Dr Moran’s report reveals that the Finkel panel's recommendations are based on unreliable and unrealistic assumptions and forecasts. 20 minutes of devastating destruction of the Finkel Review.

*Christina Sarich* - Modern science builds upon the work of Tesla and Rife to shatter cancer with sound. The post The Science of Curing Cancer and Other Diseases with Sound and Resonant Frequencies appeared first on Waking Times.

Continuing to view carbon dioxide as toxic is a mistake Analysis by Tom Harris Executive Director, International Climate Science Coalition There is a fly in the ointment Illustration by Greg Groesch/The Washington Times President Trump’s energy policies are, mostly, a beautiful thing to see. In line with his America First Energy Plan, Mr. Trump has ended the Obama administration’s war on coal, America’s least expensive source of electricity, by rescinding the Clean Power Plan and other burdensome and unnecessary regulations. He has fast-tracked the approval of the Keystone XL pipeli...more »

Courtesy of the Hollywood Reporter: *Donald Trump is looking to end a defamation lawsuit brought by season-five Apprentice contestant Summer Zervos — or at least delay it until he leaves office. * *The dispute arose after tape was published of Trump boasting to Access Hollywood's Billy Bush about grabbing women's genitals. As Trump was under fire for his comments, Zervos came forward to accuse him of kissing her twice in 2007 and attacking her in a hotel room. “I never met her at a hotel,” responded Trump, who would also attack allegations from his accusers as "100 percent fabri...more »

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I've been 'around' for a few years now, pursuing the shifting goal of a sharable home-made surfers resource site focused on ease of use and variety of mostly adult ( whoa : I didn't say prurient ) content.